With the festivities of fall in progress and Halloween so close, we have compiled for you a list of the 15 best apple and pumpkin picking farms near New York City or New Jersey.
October is the time when apple trees are at their best. With the fresh juicy produce perfect to be handpicked from trees and pumpkins obviously in demand, this time of the year is quite a profitable time for farms. Families pack into their cars and drive to these beautiful farms, not only for the fruits and vegetables but also for a fun day with the family. Petting zoos, corn mazes, bouncy houses and hay rides are common attractions in these places and are especially appealing to children.
Apart from them being family destinations, they can be romantic getaways too, that you can visit with your significant other. But since winter is almost upon us, you can also take a look at and maybe execute one of these 10 romantic winter date ideas in New York City.
While none of the farms on our list are within the hustle and bustle of New York City, they are pretty near and are at a comfortable drive from most homes. We have collected the recommendations from several specialized portals, resulting in a list of the best farms which offer both apple orchards as well as pumpkin patches. Do give one of these apple and pumpkin picking farms near New York City or New Jersey a visit before they run out of the newly harvested produce!
15. Lewin Farms
At this time of the year, this farm has fresh apples, pumpkins, eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes. And after Thanksgiving, you can even visit to cut down your own Christmas tree. It also houses a farm stand that has beautiful produce stacked up that you can purchase for a hearty family feast. In addition, a corn maze has been set up to entertain children at this farm.
14. Hank’s Pumpkintown
Hank’s Pumpkintown ranks 14th in our list of the best pumpkin and apple picking farms near NYC. Apple and pumpkin picking along with mazes, tractor rides and playgrounds, Hank’s Pumpkintown is not only a great place for children, but a retreat for adults too as they can soak in the nature that the surroundings have to offer. The Market at Hank’s Pumpkintown is especially appealing with a lot of items to choose from, may they be donuts, sweet corn, cupcakes, or ice-cream.
13. Apple Ridge Orchard and Vineyard
This farm provides a complete experience for the family with a wagon facility that drives the visitors through the orchard, pumpkin patch and the vineyard where people can pick their own apples, pumpkins, and grapes respectively. If you’re not up for picking, the farm also provides already picked apples fresh from the trees.
12. Alstede Farms
Alstede Farms ranks 12th in our list of the best apple and pumpkin picking farms near New York City or New Jersey. The Pick Your Own Program at Alstede Farms provides an organized harvesting schedule for each fruit and vegetable it offers to make the experience more convenient for its visitors. It also gives tours of its cider mill which is an interesting activity for young and old alike. Alstede Farms are always coming up with new ideas to entertain their visitors, for instance, pumpkin pancake breakfasts and hay ride programs.
11. Sun High Orchards
Not only is this farm inexpensive and a great family place, it possesses various facilities that would make you feel right at home. It offers cookies and homemade ice-cream to its visitors as well as decorations for fall festivities at reasonable prices. Moreover, the pumpkin picking facility is available every day while hay rides can be availed on the weekends, so it’s certainly a place to consider visiting on any day of the week.
10. Barton Orchards
Barton Orchards ranks 10th in our list of the best apple and pumpkin picking farms near New York City or New Jersey. The modest beginnings of Barton Orchards were in the form of a small apple farm. Now, however, apple is far from the only thing at this diverse farm. Beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, and squashes are available in abundance. But since it’s the season for apples and pumpkin picking, that’s what will be the freshest right now. To make the produce even better, Barton Orchards usually hold their pick-your-own-program in that area of the farm which is at its best at this time of the year.
9. Kelder’s Farm
The diversity of fruits and vegetables at Kelder’s Farm is exceptionally impressive. Apples and pumpkins especially are present in all types, sizes, and shapes. Furthermore, to make things more interesting, they even have a yard full of beautifully fresh and colorful flowers which you can use to form your very own bouquet. All these qualities have succeeded in awarding Kelder’s Farm a spot on our list of 15 best apple and pumpkin picking farms near New York City or New Jersey.
8. Wightman’s Farms
Wightman’s Farms ranks 8th in our list of the best apple and pumpkin picking farms near New York City or New Jersey. This place is extremely strict about visitors having membership cards and while that may seem like a hassle, the seasonal membership, which allows a total of five people, only makes your pocket 15 bucks lighter! In our opinion, it is quite an attractive bargain. The apple and pumpkin picking activities are only available on the weekend, which is not really an issue as many people head to these farms only on the weekend anyway.
7. Silverman’s Farm
Silverman’s Farm is closed from January to the first day of spring but remains open for the rest of the year, unlike some other farms which are only open for a visit during the harvest season. However, similar to other farms, harvest season attracts the most business with people crowding to pick not only apples but blueberries, peaches and raspberries as well. The pumpkin patch also provides the visitor with an opportunity to pick from a wide assortment of the vegetable.
6. Applewood Orchards and Winery / Apple Dave’s Orchard
Apple Dave’s Orchard ranks 6th on our list of the best apple and pumpkin picking farms near New York City or New Jersey. The founder and owner of this gorgeous agricultural facility, David Edward Hull, also known as Apple Dave, passed away in 2014 which is why the Applewood Orchards and Winery have been renamed Apple Dave’s Orchard. However, the new name has not yet caught on, and the orchard is still known by the original title. Offering diversity in the types of apples it produces as well as a fresh pumpkin patch, this farm also provides taste samples from the winery, something that sets it apart from the others.
5. Dr. Davies Farm
Dr. Davies Farm ranks 5th in our list of the best apple and pumpkin picking farms near New York City or New Jersey. Dr. Davies Farm has been around for numerous years and boasts itself as the site for the filming of various TV shows, TV commercials, and movies. Today, it possesses about four thousand apple trees, thirty-five acres of vegetables and two farm stands! The breathtaking location of the Dr. Davies Farm coupled with the abundance of apple trees and pumpkin patches make it the perfect farm to visit this fall.
4. Stuart’s Fruit Farm
Stuart’s Fruit Farm ranks 4th in our list of best apple and pumpkin picking farms near New York City or New Jersey. It has been in operation since 1828, so it’s almost two centuries old! It began as a humble cattle farm, but has gradually developed itself into what it is today. Apples and pumpkins are its specialties, but the farm doesn’t stop there. It provides a large variety of fruits and vegetables to its visitors which include tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, corn, potatoes, etc. It is really a haven for anyone who appreciates produce as much as we do!
3. Masker Orchards
Masker Orchards ranks third in our list of the best apple and pumpkin picking farms near New York City or New Jersey. Ripened apples are of course the biggest attraction of this popular farm, but its other attractions include their Snack Barn, Haunted House, and Apple Maze. The pumpkin patch is usually available in the two months preceding October 31st. During this season, Masker Orchards is extremely crowded with children of all sizes running around trying to pick as many apples as possible, while their parents follow with wide smiles.
Masker Orchards even has its own radio station which you can tune in anytime to get an update on the ripening of the apples. Quite an innovation, isn’t it?
2. Harvest Moon Farm and Orchard
This farm that’s up next in our list of best apple and pumpkin picking farms near New York City or New Jersey is definitely the place to have a fun family weekend as it holds fall festivals every weekend beginning from Labor Day, all the way to Halloween. We still have a few weekends to go before the festivities come to an end so formulate a plan as soon as possible! And while you are there, picking apples and pumpkins will most certainly not be your only activity. Games for the kids and delicious treats offered by various vendors will improve the trip tenfold.
1. Outhouse Orchards
Outhouse Orchards have declared themselves a must see during the season of autumn and rightly so with their various facilities and sources of entertainment like the twisty corn maze and hay rides that give you the real feel of a farm. If you are visiting for the pleasure of apple picking, all you have to do is pay 25 bucks for a bag and select the ripest ones off the trees. Pumpkins are also available for you to carve as you see fit for Halloween decorations. Furthermore, you can also order a farm raised turkey for the upcoming Thanksgiving and not have to worry about one later.
All the farms on our list of 15 best apple and pumpkin picking farms near New York City or New Jersey, urge interested people to call upon them before the actual visit to check whether they are open and to ask what the best time would be to gather the freshest produce. After all, farmers know best about the harvest they had in a particular season, and they certainly don’t want any inconvenience for their visitors.
